The Puckett's Cabin, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 190
This log cabin was the home of Orelena Puckett, said to have lived from 1837 to 1939. She married at 16 and had 24 (!) children. Unfortunately none of them lived to adulthood, an example of the high rate of child mortality of previous centuries that skewed statistics, making it look like folks all died young. Mrs. Puckett lived to be 102 years old... maybe. (The date of her birth is not certain.)
A sign in front of the cabin tells us that when she was in her fifties, she began a career in midwifery. She is said to have assisted in the births of over 1000 babies!
Other sources spell her name differently (Orleana, Orlean, etc.). They state that when construction of the Parkway neared her home, she was given 30 days to move. Family members felt that she died of a broken heart.
Newspaper Article: Roanoke Times
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